College - Author 1
College of Liberal Arts
Department - Author 1
Journalism Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Journalism
Date
6-2018
Primary Advisor
Anthony Prado
Abstract/Summary
As fashion blogs grow in popularity and number, much research has been done to evaluate their potential for commercial gain. Little research, however, has been done on fashion blogging’s potential as a vehicle for political and social advocacy. This paper seeks to address this gap by examining two fashion blogs, StyleLikeU and Chinatown Pretty, that combine style blogging with advocacy, in order to understand how they communicate with audiences to pursue their advocacy-oriented missions. In a world where fashion blogging is only growing in popularity, but is increasingly tied to commercial goals, this study is more relevant than ever. This study concludes by positing that these blogs tell intimate stories that advocate through the lens of fashion and personal style. By emphasizing individual empowerment and personal choice in the context of fashion and style, and by celebrating underrepresented communities in a way that departs from mainstream narratives, these sites inspire their audiences to reconsider their own personal fashion choices, and their relationship with their own identity and way of life.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/joursp/138